WDMA
Calls on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to Address Continuing
Concerns about Proposed ENERGY STAR Version 6.0 for Windows, Doors and
Skylights

[Washington,
DC, February 27, 2013]--In response to yesterday's action by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) seeking additional comments on
proposed draft ENERGY STAR Version 6.0 criteria for skylights, the
Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA) is calling on the
agency to address additional concerns the industry has about the
skylight criteria, the proposed window and door criteria and the overall
direction of the ENERGY STAR program.

"Yesterday's
action by EPA proposing some changes to the skylight criteria is a good
first step toward addressing our concerns about product feasibility,
availability and cost effectiveness for consumers, but we are still
disappointed EPA has not addressed them fully, nor has it provided an
explanation why," said WDMA President Michael O'Brien. "It
is also still uncertain how EPA will respond to the same concerns
raised by WDMA for proposed window and door specifications currently
under consideration by the Agency."

The
Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA), which has been
actively engaging EPA on the revision of ENERGY STAR criteria for
windows, doors and skylights, believes the latest revisions make the
qualification criteria for skylights more reasonable for much of the
country, but that they still fall short and should be improved further.

In
a letter sent yesterday by EPA to ENERGY STAR stakeholders announcing
the latest revisions to the skylight criteria, the Agency stated the
intent of the revisions is to ensure tubular daylighting devices (TDD's)
and more double pane skylights will be able to qualify for the Northern
climate zone, and to address concerns over the feasibility and
affordability of ENERGY STAR qualified skylight products in other parts
of the country as well.

However,
while the latest revisions are significant improvements in the skylight
U-factor criteria for the ENERGY STAR Northern climate zone and Solar
Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) in the Northern, North-Central and Southern
climate zones, they still fall short of fully responding to industry
concerns on the whole for skylights with respect to product feasibility,
availability and cost effectiveness.

"WDMA
has voiced significant concerns with proposed ENERGY STAR Version 6.0
criteria since it was first proposed by EPA last year. The
proposed criteria also underscores broader concerns WDMA has with the
direction the program appears to be headed in general," said O'Brien. "It
appears EPA is more concerned about market share of ENERGY STAR
products rather than recognizing efficient products that are most
affordable and cost effective for consumers."

WDMA
maintains that the proposed Version 6.0 criteria, which is based
largely on a market share approach, is counter to EPA's guiding
principles for the ENERGY STAR program and resulting in proposed
criteria that is less feasible for manufacturers to meet and less
affordable and cost effective for consumers.

WDMA
firmly reasserted these concerns in a thirty-three page comment letter
sent to EPA earlier this month in response to "Draft 2" of the proposed
Version 6.0 window, door and skylight qualification criteria. Those comments as well as those submitted in addition by WDMA members are still under consideration by the Agency.

"We
will continue to work with EPA to seek further revisions to the Version
6.0 criteria that fully address our concerns and what we believe are in
the best interest of the ENERGY STAR program and consumers," said
O'Brien.